It's not perfect, no TV movies are as they are all basically the same in terms of quality, but this film is good enough for me to like it. Why do I like it? It's a saga depicting the dramatic war between Late Night host David Letterman and Permanent guest host of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, a war over the position of host of The Tonight Show after Carson's retirement. It's a corporatized conflict over an entertainment staple, pulling the curtain and exposing us to the behind the scenes of Late Night TV.

Also, I hate Jay Leno

It's not perfect, no TV movies are as they are all basically the same in terms of quality, but this film is good enough for me to like it. Why do I like it? It's a saga depicting the dramatic war between Late Night host David Letterman and Permanent guest host of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, a war over the position of host of The Tonight Show after Carson's retirement. It's a corporatized conflict over an entertainment staple, pulling the curtain and exposing us to the behind the scenes of Late Night TV.

Also, I hate Jay Leno

Earlier today I finished reading Bill Carter's book The Late Shift about the battle between Late Night host David Letterman and Tonight Show guest host Jay Leno to take over The Tonight Show after the sudden retirement of longtime Tonight Show host Johnny Carson; and since I finished the book, might as well rewatch the HBO TV film based on the book. I personally thought this film got a little bit better after reading it, I still think the producers of this film just found another dude with a pointy chin and tried to pass him off as Jay Leno, Although the guy that played Johnny Carson was better than I remembered. John Michael Higgins as David Letterman is still great casting.

Earlier today I finished reading Bill Carter's book The Late Shift about the battle between Late Night host David Letterman and Tonight Show guest host Jay Leno to take over The Tonight Show after the sudden retirement of longtime Tonight Show host Johnny Carson; and since I finished the book, might as well rewatch the HBO TV film based on the book. I personally thought this film got a little bit better after reading it, I still think the producers of this film just found another dude with a pointy chin and tried to pass him off as Jay Leno, Although the guy that played Johnny Carson was better than I remembered. John Michael Higgins as David Letterman is still great casting.

I had first heard of this TV film like maybe a year ago when I didn't have HBO Max, months later I did have HBO Max and today I was scrolling and came across this and said "Why Not?". This film was interesting but I didn't like the casting of Daniel Roebuck as Jay Leno and especially whoever the hell they had play Johnny Carson, John Michael Higgins' portrayal of David Letterman was probably the only good acting of the film, but this was a great film about the behind the scenes of Late Night television, a competition between two Late Night Hosts trying to succeed Johnny Carson as host of the Tonight Show.

I had first heard of this TV film like maybe a year ago when I didn't have HBO Max, months later I did have HBO Max and today I was scrolling and came across this and said "Why Not?". This film was interesting but I didn't like the casting of Daniel Roebuck as Jay Leno and especially whoever the hell they had play Johnny Carson, John Michael Higgins' portrayal of David Letterman was probably the only good acting of the film, but this was a great film about the behind the scenes of Late Night television, a competition between two Late Night Hosts trying to succeed Johnny Carson as host of the Tonight Show.

Leno chin more unsightly than any Cronenberg body horror

Leno chin more unsightly than any Cronenberg body horror

I was three years old when this story ended, so far be it from me to question anything presented in this movie (that I honestly thought was a documentary until I saw "Jay Leno" and realized it wasn't). All I can really judge it on is it's enjoyablity as a film. To me, this feels like something that should have been a miniseries because we are jumping forward so often and right over parts where I think valuable information would have been conveyed. It's very Letterman heavy in the tail end I I can't help but feel like I'm missing a lot by not touching back in with Leno (and it was kind of vice-versa in the first half). It is very condenced and even though I was enjoying myself (the acting is very good and they just let Kathy Bates do her thing), I never felt I had a strong handle on what was going on. There is a lot of just studio bigwigs talking about things that I don't understand and they don't take any time to break it down. I think I learned quite a bit and waa thoroughly entertained, which is most of what I needed.

I was three years old when this story ended, so far be it from me to question anything presented in this movie (that I honestly thought was a documentary until I saw "Jay Leno" and realized it wasn't). All I can really judge it on is it's enjoyablity as a film. To me, this feels like something that should have been a miniseries because we are jumping forward so often and right over parts where I think valuable information would have been conveyed. It's very Letterman heavy in the tail end I I can't help but feel like I'm missing a lot by not touching back in with Leno (and it was kind of vice-versa in the first half). It is very condenced and even though I was enjoying myself (the acting is very good and they just let Kathy Bates do her thing), I never felt I had a strong handle on what was going on. There is a lot of just studio bigwigs talking about things that I don't understand and they don't take any time to break it down. I think I learned quite a bit and waa thoroughly entertained, which is most of what I needed.